Written Answers

Tuesday 1 August 2000

Scottish Executive

Ambulance Service

Robert Brown (Glasgow) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether an assessment is being made of the percentage of emergency calls to the ambulance service which genuinely require attendance by ambulance.

Susan Deacon: In 1999 the National Audit Office reported in its publication The Scottish Ambulance Service: A Service for Life that approximately one-third of patients calling for a 999 emergency ambulance had no or only minor illness. This was based on analysis of a sample of patients who had used the service. The Scottish Ambulance Service is carrying out a more detailed analysis of the nature of calls made to the service as part of its investigation into the case for introducing a priority-based dispatch system for emergency ambulances.

Cancer

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what provisions are made for women from ethnic minorities who suffer from cancer, especially breast cancer, to address any communication difficulties.

Susan Deacon: The National Health Service is obliged to ensure equity of access to all services for everyone irrespective of their ethnic background or if English is not their first language. General principles and specific recommendations for language, communication and information needs are set out in the 1994 Department of Health booklet, Access to Health Care by the Ethnic Minority Communities : A Guide to Good Practice .

  The Scottish Executive has funded a stocktake of policy statements and action plans on race equality and access to services, the results of which will provide the basis for best practice guidance for the NHS in Scotland.

European Funding

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-8220 by Henry McLeish on 7 July 2000, why it has not yet placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre a copy of the proposed Assisted Area map showing the possible changes to it currently being considered by the European Commission; whether it will now do so, and when these possible changes were submitted to the European Commission.

Henry McLeish: The Assisted Areas map is a reserved matter for the UK Government.

  Possible changes to the proposed Assisted Areas map (published on 10 April 2000) have been discussed with the European Commission since the close of the consultation period on 2 May: the European Commission may or may not accept these changes.

  A copy of the Assisted Areas map will be placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre once approved by the European Commission.

Health

Mrs Margaret Smith (Edinburgh West) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to modify the papilloma virus screening programme so as to increase detection rates for cervical diseases and whether it plans to introduce liquid based cytology as a method for testing.

Susan Deacon: The UK National Screening Committee (NSC), which was established in 1996, advises Health Ministers about the modification or extension of existing screening programmes. I understand that the NSC are considering the possibility of including human papilloma virus testing within the routine cervical screening programme. I will consider carefully any recommendations from the NSC in due course.

  Any new developments which could improve the quality and accuracy of reporting cervical smears is welcomed. The National Co-ordinator of the Scottish Cervical Screening Programme and the National Advisory Group reviewed a range of automation options in 1998 and are currently considering the case for introducing a demonstration project to assess the feasibility of introducing liquid based cytology as a method for testing.

Health

Bruce Crawford (Mid Scotland and Fife) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, in the event that Fife Health Board and the Acute Services Trust fail to reach agreement on the Business Plan for Acute Services in Fife, what mechanisms exist to enable a successful conclusion to be reached.

Susan Deacon: I refer Mr Crawford to my answer of 16 December to his question S1W-3426.

Historic Scotland

David McLetchie (Lothians) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether any of the £2.5 million allocated to Historic Scotland for 2000-01 from the year-end balances for last year will go towards ancillary works associated with the Holyrood Project.

Rhona Brankin: I refer the member to my reply of 17 July to Lord James Douglas-Hamilton in which I confirmed that, for 2000-01, expenditure on landscaping and the realignment of roads in Holyrood Park associated with the new Scottish Parliament will be covered by the £2.5 million transfer to Historic Scotland announced on 28 June 2000.

Meat Hygiene Service

Rhoda Grant (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what performance targets have been set for the Meat Hygiene Service in 2000-01.

Susan Deacon: Following consultation with interested organisations, the Board of the Food Standards Agency (FSA) approved at its meeting on 20 July the following performance targets for the Meat Hygiene Service (MHS) for 2000-01:

  1. Public Health Protection

  a) Reduction of microbiological hazards in meat:

  Fully apply MHS Clean Livestock Policy.

  Not to apply the health mark stamp to any meat showing visible faecal or alimentary tract contents contamination.

  Take effective action in slaughterhouses with low Hygiene Assessment System (HAS) scores to improve hygiene standards.

  b) Removal of Specified Risk Material (SRM) from the human and animal food chain:

  Strictly enforce SRM controls in abattoirs.

  2. Animal Welfare

  Strictly enforce Welfare at Slaughter and Killing Regulations.

  3. Staff Training

  Provide update training for all Principal Official Veterinary Surgeons and lead Official Veterinary Surgeons (OVSs) in enforcement (training course to be developed in liaison with FSA Legal Services).

  Provide update training for 33% of lead OVSs in animal welfare at slaughter (training course to be developed in liaison with MAFF Animal Welfare Division).

  Provide refresher training for 33% of lead OVSs in hygiene requirements (training course to be developed in liaison with FSA Veterinary Public Health Unit).

  All training to be completed by 31 March 2001 and to comply with Investors in People standards.

  4. Customer Focus

  Provision of high quality service.

  Introduce an independent element to MHS Appeals System.

  Sign up to Government Enforcement Concordat.

  To meet the FSA targets for customer service.

  Maintain full compliance with Charter Mark standards.

  5. Value for Money

  Efficiency.

  To implement those recommendations in the Pooley report applicable to the MHS and accepted by the FSA for implementation in 2000-01.

  To implement those recommendations in the external efficiency review accepted, and within the timetable laid down, by the FSA Board.

  6. Financial Performance

  To operate within the cash allocations as agreed with the FSA.

  To recover from government departments, agencies and the IBEA the full economic costs (calculated in accordance with the relevant charging legislation and accruals accounting) of providing agreed services or other work undertaken on their behalf.

  A copy of the consultation package on the performance targets, summary of responses and details of the assessment of these targets are available on the FSA website at www.foodstandards.gov.uk.

  Until 31 March 2000, the MHS was an Executive Agency of MAFF. Accordingly the MAFF Minister has published the MHS annual report for 1999-2000 in which performance against last year’s targets is reported. A copy of the report has been placed in SPICe.

Multiple Sclerosis

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what criteria were used to determine which multiple sclerosis sufferers were suitable to receive beta interferon treatment, what criteria were used to determine which patients received treatment using the drug, and what proportion of those deemed suitable actually received the treatment.

Susan Deacon: There is no information held centrally on the number of patients with multiple sclerosis who may be eligible for Beta Interferon treatment. A patient’s eligibility for this treatment depends on the clinical judgment of the specialists concerned, taking account of advice from health board drug and therapeutic committees.

Non-Domestic Rates

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-5176 by Mr Jack McConnell on 31 May 2000, whether it will place in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre a detailed analysis of the computation of the estimate of £1,550 million in respect of non-domestic rate revenue in 2000-01; whether this estimate was obtained using information obtained from local authorities or assessors and to give details; whether it will also provide a detailed breakdown for each local authority of the estimated non-domestic rate revenue for 2000-01, and what its estimates are of any expected losses from (a) appeals and (b) transitional relief for (i) Scotland and (ii) each local authority.

Mr Jack McConnell: The calculation of the estimate of non-domestic rate income used in financial planning for 2000-01 is detailed below. Estimates were made at a Scotland level, not for individual authorities. A breakdown of estimated rate revenue for 2000-01 for each local authority is not available.

  Gross rate income for 2000-01 £1,921 million

  minus Transitional Relief £ 70 million

  minus  Mandatory Reliefs1 £ 205 million

  minus Other reductions2 £ 55 million

  minus Prior-year adjustments3 £ 40 million

  Net rate income for 2000-01 £1,550 million

  Notes:

  1. Unoccupied/partly unoccupied property, churches, charities, rates rebates and rural rate relief.

  2. Hardship, charities and other organisations, sports clubs, rural rate relief, rates written off and provision for write-offs, refunds of overpayments interest, bad debts previously written off now payable, late additions to the valuation roll now payable and appeals.

  3. The main element of prior-year adjustments is the repayment of rates for earlier years as a result of successful appeals.

  To calculate the gross rate income an estimate of the total rateable value in Scotland in 2000-01 was multiplied by the poundage rate. The rateable value in 2000-01 was based on the rateable value in 1999-2000 (obtained from annual returns made by the Assessors) adjusted by the estimated 12% revaluation factor arising from the revaluation of Scottish business properties in 2000. The rate poundage, set with a view to maintaining the total tax take in real terms, was adjusted to take account of inflation (1.1%) and the ultimate losses to the rates base due to successful appeals (3.6%).

  Estimates of the costs of the 2000 Transitional Relief scheme are modelled using the sample survey of 10% of non-domestic subjects in Scotland. Other estimates (including estimates of the continuing costs of the 1995 Transitional Relief scheme) are based on estimates returned by authorities in previous years.

  The reduction in income in 2000-01 from appeals following the 2000 revaluation is estimated to be less than £0.5 million. As appeals losses transpire they will be included in the prior-year adjustment figures for subsequent years. Experience of the 1995 revaluation has shown that the main reductions from appeals are likely to fall in 2001-02 and 2002-03.

  A paper showing how the Scottish Executive calculated the revaluation factor, the rate poundage and a description of the 10% survey of non-domestic subjects is currently available from SPICe.

Rural Affairs

Dr Winnie Ewing (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has considered the report on rural peripherality commissioned by the Department of Environment, Transport and the Regions and co-authored by researchers from the University of Aberdeen and Cardiff University and what action it intends to take on its findings.

Ross Finnie: The report referred to, Spatial Planning and Peripherality , is due to be published by the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions shortly. The Executive was represented on the steering committee for this study, and will give careful consideration to its findings.